Game of Thrones’ cast Almost cast swaps: who got swapped
Game of Thrones' cast is still the subject of endless casting what-ifs a decade after the finale. Actors who tested for one role and landed another created alternate histories that fans still debate on forums and podcasts. The stories reveal how a single audition choice shaped both careers and the show itself.
Jon Snow auditions
Iwan Rheon came within one final test of playing the bastard of Winterfell. Producers chose Kit Harington, then remembered Rheon when they needed a cruel new villain for Theon Greyjoy.
Alfie Allen also read for Jon Snow. The producers liked his intensity but felt the hero role needed a quieter presence, so they offered him Theon instead.
Sam Claflin tested for both Jon and Viserys Targaryen. Neither part stuck, yet the process placed him in the conversation for later prestige projects that raised his profile.
Daenerys pilot recast
Tamzin Merchant shot the original unaired pilot as Daenerys. HBO ordered a full reshoot, and Emilia Clarke stepped in for the series run.
The change happened early enough that most viewers never saw Merchant’s take. Still, leaked footage keeps the story alive whenever new fans discover the show.
Producers later admitted the original footage felt tonally off, prompting the rare decision to replace a lead before the show even aired.
Melisandre and Margaery pivot
Natalie Dormer first read for the red priestess Melisandre. The showrunners liked her screen presence but needed that edge for a new character still on the drawing board.
They offered her Margaery Tyrell instead. Dormer later said watching Carice van Houten as Melisandre confirmed the switch was right for both actresses.
The move gave the writers room to expand Margaery into a political player rather than a one-note courtier.
From Jorah to Davos
Liam Cunningham auditioned for Ser Jorah Mormont a year before the show began shooting. The producers passed, but they filed his tape.
When the part of Davos Seaworth opened, they brought him back. Cunningham has joked that the second call felt like a rescue mission.
His grounded performance as the Onion Knight became one of the series’ most consistent moral compasses.
Conleth Hill’s unexpected offer
Conleth Hill read for King Robert Baratheon. The producers instead offered him the spymaster Varys, a smaller but more layered role.
Hill accepted without hesitation, recognizing that Varys would appear across multiple seasons and storylines.
The decision gave the show a steady presence in King’s Landing while allowing Mark Addy to play Robert as a larger-than-life figure in the first season only.
Carice van Houten’s alternate path
Van Houten originally auditioned for Cersei Lannister. Scheduling conflicts pushed her toward Melisandre instead.
The Red Woman’s mystical agenda created a different kind of power dynamic than the Lannister court politics would have allowed.
Her casting also freed the writers to explore religious zealotry without overlapping Cersei’s more secular schemes.
Mahershala Ali’s brief encounter
Mahershala Ali tested for the merchant prince Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Qarth. The audition conditions were awkward, and the role went to Nonso Anozie.
Ali has since described the session as one of his worst. Casting director Nina Gold reportedly regretted losing him before his later Oscar wins.
The near-miss underscores how small production details can reroute even future A-listers.
Gillian Anderson and Lily Allen passes
Gillian Anderson was approached for Cersei but declined due to family commitments. The part went to Lena Headey, whose performance defined the character for a generation.
Lily Allen was offered Yara Greyjoy opposite her real brother Alfie as Theon. She turned it down to focus on music.
Both decisions left the door open for other actresses and kept the siblings’ on-screen relationship strictly fictional.
Producer pattern
Across these stories, showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff repeatedly cast actors they liked even when the original role did not fit. They created or reshaped parts to keep talent in the fold.
This flexibility helped maintain a consistent tone despite the series’ expanding ensemble and shifting locations.
The approach also gave performers like Dormer and Cunningham long arcs that might never have existed if the show had locked every role on the first audition.
Legacy of the swaps
Game of Thrones' cast might look entirely different if a few callbacks had gone another way. The near-misses remind viewers that the final version resulted from constant recalibration rather than a single master plan.
